Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee's Younger Brother Succumbs To COVID-19

Mamata Banerjee brother: Ashim Banerjee, the younger sibling of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, passed away due to COVID-19, reports said Saturday. He was seeking treatment at Kolkata's Medica Superspecialty Hospital.

Dr Alok Roy, Chairman of Medica, relayed news of his demise saying, "Mamata Banerjee's younger brother Ashim Banerjee passed away today at the hospital. He had tested positive for COVID-19 and was undergoing treatment," as quoted by news agency ANI. 

There is no public word on this from Banerjee yet.

Mamata Banerjee Brother Passes Away; COVID-19 Uptick In Bengal

Currently the only woman state leader in India, Banerjee, on May 2, defeated the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to secure a third term in Bengal as CM. Look back at the election here.

Despite a wave of coronavirus sweeping the country, political parties gathered crowds in huge numbers in Bengal to hold rallies in violation of social distancing protocol. There was criticism also towards the Election Commission (EC) for drawing the poll out over eight phases.

Following the election, there has been a significant rise in COVID-19 cases in Bengal. The state recorded its highest single-day spike on Friday with 20,846 cases, taking the total count of infections to 10,94,802. Deaths have crossed the 12000 mark.

"Every political leader boasted of huge gatherings in their rallies not knowing what harm they were doing. COVID-19 spread rapidly even in the rural areas as huge political rallies were held in the villages, sans any safety protocols," health expert Abhijit Chowdhury was quoted saying.